24 Hour Read-a-thon Status Update Hour 12

Pet Pics, Prized Pages and Pachyderm Prose

So, it’s Sunday morning here, 20 minutes past 1 AM. Yes, I’m hanging in there! Doing well with the support of da kittehs — remember I didn’t even think Juno was going to make it until today? This afternoon she came to sit with me on the balcony! My cutie :)

But she’s not the only one keeping me company: our Shy Guy Ringo also spent some time on my lap. As you might deduce from his nickname, that is quite unusual. So I’m having a ball!

I’ve decided to use the readathon to give Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book one more try. And it’s working! I’ve almost caught up with the Pillow Book Friday read-along at In Spring it is the Dawn (I do not own any shares of that great site, really I don’t ;) Since last status update I’ve read entries 109-142 and now I have only 7 more to go and I’m done for the week. Yay! That’ll count as 1 book for the readathon, don’t you think? :)

To answer the question of Pet Pics, Prized Pages and Pachyderm Prose, one of my favourite animal books is The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy. The main character is Mud, an elephant. So here’s my ‘emmy’ sentence: Mad Mud makes millions marvel. In contrast I’d like to share a picture of our third and last critter, who is minding her own business, Yoshitoshi. The smallest pet in the house has the grandest name ;)

Mid-event Meme

What are you reading right now?
Wrote about that just above!

How many books have you read so far?
Erm.. 1!

What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Probably The China Lover by Ian Buruma.

Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Yep, had to prepare Mr Gnoe and make sure I had my snacks ready and house sort-a cleaned up, which I would have done on Saturday otherwise.

Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Ha, most interruptions come from the web (twitter, cheering, blogging, mini-challenges etc.), cuddling the cats and eating. Oh and then there’s the trouble with our kitchen plumbing… But I’m just hitting the ‘ignore’ button on that ;)

What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Although it’s LATE and I’m tired, I’m not really getting depressed yet!

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope, it’s a ball!

What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Nothing.

Are you getting tired yet?
Yep! Had to change my contacts for glasses and I’m looking kind of grey ;)

Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
No. If I think of something later on I’ll add it!

A thought to mull over: “The best of a book is not the thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of music dwells not in the tones but in the echoes of our hearts.” — John Greenleaf Whittier

I’m so glad Juno was well enough to come sit on your lap for a bit. :)
I’m also very happy to hear that you’ve been reading more in the Pillow Book, even though I totally would’ve understood if you decided to put it aside.
BTW, I think you’re my biggest supporter, I really appreciate all the mentions. :)
Enjoy the rest of the read-a-thon!